Genetic Testing

Genetic testing gives a picture of a person's vulnerability of developing certain inherited conditions. It would make sense from a health insurance point of view that any information which helps insures assess your risk would affect your premium costs. If you have a higher risk of developing a condition then you would expect to pay a higher premium. Health insurance usually requires full disclosure.

There are two ways in which genetic testing is used: Tests which confirm illnesses and inform treatments and predictive tests. Insurers can already ask for the results of diagnostic genetic tests but the latter has been the subject of much controversy.

As of this moment medical insurance companies are not allowed to use predictive tests when calculating your premiums. Part of the reason for this is that tests are not yet standardised nor the results conclusive. The government, alongside the Institute of British Insures and other parties are addressing these issues and have stated that genetic testing cannot be used for insurance purposes until 2011.

One of the concerns is that in the future patients may be deterred from taking tests for fear of their premiums increasing. This would could have detrimental consequences for people who could use new information to help their future health prospects.

Another argument is that the number of people that are taking genetic tests is very low therefore the loss to insurers is also low and acceptable. Once the testing becomes more sophisticated and widely available this will not be the case.

'Insurers have been prepared to bear the risks and costs of nondisclosure, which are spread across the broad pool of policyholders, because the number of policies affected by non-disclosure of predictive genetic tests is low.'

By 2011 genetic testing will have moved on a great deal but the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee have recommended that information from those who have been screened up until this date should not be used for insurance purposes not matter what new regulations have been drawn up.


So, for the moment those who have genetic testing will not be penalised with higher insurance premiums. However after 2011 the situation will be reviewed. The government remain committed to the fact that private medical insurance companies need all available information in order for them to make an accurate risk assessment.